Sorry Gold review: Eerie, joyful, beautiful and sad

SORRY GOLD

Project Arts Centre
★★★★★
The aerialist Emily Aoibheann's Sorry Gold, part one of a twin production about civilisation and nature, begins with five women chatting and hugging in pairs and, in one case, standing aloofly to the side, as if they're all about to take a class. On the ground there are bundles of coloured fabric, and from the ceiling hang ropes and chains. The soundtrack moves from ominous sub-bass to pure hymnal melodies to pattering windchimes, broken up by technological glitches, nature sounds and animalistic vocalising. The five begin dancing individually, then together, before gradually hoisting themselves fearlessly and with deceptive ease up the various bits of flowing fabric, which are now hung from on high. Throughout they alternate glitchy erraticism with smooth grace, often at a slightly terrifying height. One performer seems to disappear entirely into a mass of fabric before reappearing a while later. Each of them spend some time seemingly at odds with everyone else on stage and some time echoing each other and the music and the twisting fabric. I'm not sure exactly what this is saying about either civilisation or nature, but it's eerie and joyful and beautiful and sad.

[ Dublin Fringe Festival ]